Membranes of the present disclosure possess very thin barrier layers, with high selectivity, high throughput, low fouling, and are long lasting. The membranes include graphene and/or graphene oxide barrier layers on a nanofibrous supporting scaffold. Methods for forming these membranes, as well as uses thereof, are also provided. In embodiments, an article of the present disclosure includes a nanofibrous scaffold; at least a first layer of nanoporous graphene, nanoporous graphene oxide, or combinations thereof on at least a portion of a surface of the nanofibrous scaffold; an additive such as crosslinking agents and/or particles on an outer surface of the at least first layer of nanoporous graphene, nanoporous graphene oxide, or combinations thereof.

The present disclosure provides a method for producing a water permeable molecular sieve in which a porous substrate having micron-size pores has deposited on a surface thereof non-porous 2D platelets to seal, at the substrate surface, pores in the porous substrate to form a layer of 2D platelets. A curable sealing material is deposited onto the layer of 2D platelets and any remaining exposed areas of the surface of the porous substrate and curing the curable sealing material in order to form a sealed layer on the surface of the porous substrate to prevent water by-passing the non-porous 2D platelets and passing through the porous substrate. An array of sub-nanopores are then produced through the sealed layer with the array of sub-nanopores having a size to allow water to pass therethrough but not metal ions to give a water permeable molecular sieve characterized by water permeability at low di?erential pressures.

The present disclosure relates to a separator and a method of manufacturing the separator. The separator includes a porous support and a hydrophilic polymer applied to the surface of the porous support through a solution including the hydrophilic polymer and a solvent, and satisfies the following Equation: 0.015?(C*D)/(A*B)?0.65, where A is a thickness (?m) of the porous support, B is an air permeability (Gurley, seconds/100 ml) of the porous support, C is a porosity (% by volume) of the porous support, and D is a content (% by weight) of the hydrophilic polymer in the solution.

The present invention provides a polyvinyl alcohol-based ion-exchange membrane having practical dimensional stability and electrodialysis performance, and a method for producing the ion-exchange membrane. The present invention relates to an ion-exchange membrane which gives an infrared absorption spectrum that satisfies the relationship (A):

30{Z(X+Y)30/2}/T(A)

wherein X is the absorbance at an absorption wavelength of 1690 cm.sup.1, Y is the absorbance at an absorption wavelength of 1720 cm.sup.1, Z is the integral value for the region lying between absorption wavelengths of 1690 cm.sup.1 and 1720 cm.sup.1, and T (cm) is the thickness of the ion-exchange membrane.

The invention relates to a blood treatment device configured to dephosphorylate extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the blood of a patient in need thereof in an extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the device comprises a matrix having alkaline phosphatase (AP) immobilized thereon. The invention further relates to an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising a blood treatment device of the invention and to the blood treatment device for use as a medicament or to methods of treating an infection, preferably a blood or systemic infection, such as sepsis, and/or for the treatment of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (AKI).

Membranes of the present disclosure possess very thin barrier layers, with high selectivity, high throughput, low fouling, and are long lasting. The membranes include graphene and/or graphene oxide barrier layers on a nanofibrous supporting scaffold. Methods for forming these membranes, as well as uses thereof, are also provided. In embodiments, an article of the present disclosure includes a nanofibrous scaffold; at least a first layer of nanoporous graphene, nanoporous graphene oxide, or combinations thereof on at least a portion of a surface of the nanofibrous scaffold; an additive such as crosslinking agents and/or particles on an outer surface of the at least first layer of nanoporous graphene, nanoporous graphene oxide, or combinations thereof.

In one embodiment is provided a polymer blend of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), wherein the poly(vinylacetate) is present in an amount ranging between about 20 wt % and about 80 wt %, and poly(acrylic acid) is present in an amount ranging between about 80 wt % and about 20 wt %, based on the total weight of the blend. In another embodiment is provided a fiber produced from this polymer blend, and which has cells therein. In another embodiment is provided a flavorant release material comprising the porous fiber disclosed herein, and one or more flavorants disposed in a longitudinally extending core within the fiber. In another embodiment is provided a polymer fiber membrane containing a hollow, porous fiber formed from the polymer blend disclosed herein. In another embodiment is provided a filter containing the fiber described herein. In another embodiment is provided a process for producing the fibers disclosed herein by addition of the polymers to an extruder or blender, and extruding or melt spinning the mixture into a fiber containing cells therein.

The invention separating material and separation method make it possible to separate and collect 1,3-butadiene selectively from a mixed gas containing 1,3-butadiene and a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon other than 1,3-butadiene. A separating material capable of adsorbing 1,3-butadiene selectively includes: a dicarboxylic acid compound (I) represented by formula (I) (wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or the like); a metal ion such as a zinc ion and a cobalt ion; and a metal complex having such a structure that multiple pseudo-diamondoid frameworks are intruded mutually, wherein each of the pseudo-diamondoid frameworks comprises an organic ligand (II) that is represented by formula (II) (wherein X represents CH.sub.2, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2, CHCH or the like; and R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, R.sup.10, R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or the like) and is capable of being bidentately coordinated with the metal ion.

In one embodiment is provided a polymer blend of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), wherein the poly(vinylacetate) is present in an amount ranging between about 20 wt % and about 80 wt %, and poly(acrylic acid) is present in an amount ranging between about 80 wt % and about 20 wt %, based on the total weight of the blend. In another embodiment is provided a fiber produced from this polymer blend, and which has cells therein. In another embodiment is provided a flavorant release material comprising the porous fiber disclosed herein, and one or more flavorants disposed in a longitudinally extending core within the fiber. In another embodiment is provided a polymer fiber membrane containing a hollow, porous fiber formed from the polymer blend disclosed herein. In another embodiment is provided a filter containing the fiber described herein. In another embodiment is provided a process for producing the fibers disclosed herein by addition of the polymers to an extruder or blender, and extruding or melt spinning the mixture into a fiber containing cells therein.

The invention relates to a blood treatment device configured to dephosphorylate extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the blood of a patient in need thereof in an extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the device comprises a matrix having alkaline phosphatase (AP) immobilized thereon. The invention further relates to an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising a blood treatment device of the invention and to the blood treatment device for use as a medicament or to methods of treating an infection, preferably a blood or systemic infection, such as sepsis, and/or for the treatment of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (AKI).